Constrictor

Chapter 1

"Heather? Are you ready?" Mother calls from the kitchen. The sound of the cabinet closing tells me she is getting a cup of coffee.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I yell from the bathroom, gathering my last bit of toiletries. I quickly check over my list of things to bring to make sure I have everything that I need for NYU. I'm extremely nervous and I can't imagine what I will feel like when we get there.

I am woken from my thoughts by the sound of a glass shattering and my mom cursing under her breath.

"Heather? Come on I want to get there early so I can see your dorm!" She yells. I roll my eyes at the thought of us walking in to my new dorm and her questioning my roommate. She has always been over protective of me being her only child and her raising me all by herself.

"Yeah I'm coming right now!" I respond grabbing my tooth brush and shoving it into my bag.

I walk down stairs to the kitchen to meet her. She is bent over the sink looking out the window. I can tell she is crying with her constant sniffles. I done the same thing last night when it finally hit me that I am a college student and I will be on my own now.

"You ready?" I ask placing my bag on the counter and opening the refrigerator grabbing a bottle of water.

"Yeah" She turns around and her eyes are bloodshot. She has definitely been crying. I walk over to embrace my mother.

"Why are you crying?" I try to use my most comforting voice.

"Because your all grown up now" she says pulling apart with her hands now on my shoulders. She brings her hand to my cheek rubbing her thumb back and forth. "I love you" she says almost a whisper now. "I love you too" I say ripping a paper towel and handing it to her whipping her eyes.

"Well here we go" she says walking to the car door as I straggle along behind her. Before I open the door to the passenger side I turn around to look at the house I have been in my whole life. Its not a extravagant place but it was perfect for two people.

My dad was a drunk and he never stayed home. When he did come home it was close to midnight and he would always abuse my mom while I was asleep. I would wake up with her by my side in my room with the door locked. He left when I was seven and I havn't seen him sense.

"Heather? You okay?" mother calls from the car.

"Uh....Yeah....I-I was just reminiscing" I say opening the car door and climbing in. I buckle up and turn on the radio immediately avoiding any awkward conversations with my mom on staying true to my word on staying focused and all, which will most likly lead to her crying.

"You know you could of at least put a little mascara on" she says smiling.

I open up the mirror on the sun visor and check my face for any flaws. I don't have any special features just the normal brown hair, tan skin, and hazel eyes. I do have dimples but I don't think much of them. The only thing I really like about myself is my hair. Its pretty long if i do say so my self, it reaches just below my belly button.

I open my moms makeup bag which is sticking out of her purse and apply a little bit of mascara to my lashes.

The rest of the ride was quite boring, I eventually had a conversation that I desperately wanted to avoid. We pull onto a brick road passing a sign reading New York University. My Stomach begins to turn upside down as we park in the confined parking lot.

There is a lot of people with bags walking all over the place struggling for assistance of trying to find their dorms. There are many parents kissing their children goodbye, and a whole bunch of sadness is everywhere.